Oil-tank insulation



July 3, 192s. 1,675,354

` R. T. KEMPER GIL TANK INSULATION Filed Maron 6,. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 F .5 m f 7 7J 7b y :[20 iwf/emptor" /g A7677 e7".

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Patented ,July 3, 1928.

y v.UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE.

BAY T. KEMPER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB, BY' MESNE ABSIGNI'ENTB, TO JOHNS-MANVILLE CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

apuestan mea Imi; e,

This invention relates to apparatus for protecting tanks from temperature conditions conducive to rapid evaporatlon and to a method of providing'insulationfor tanks.

The standard receptacle for the storage of volatile petroleum Grits derivatives is a circular metallic tank having lateral walls built up of courses of plates. The tops ofthese tanks are often of insulating construction, 1U but the peripheral walls which are in direct Contact with the contained liquid andwhich generally far exceed the top surface in area are ordinarily wholly unprotected.V Under such conditions the diurnal change of temperature of the contents 'and consequent evaporation loss is necessarily large., The losses are greatly reduced by the proper protection of the roof and eaves of the tank. The provision of, an insulating covering for the :lateral walls of such tanks may reduce the remaining losses due to evaporation by as much as 8O per cent. The provision of a practical covering is not, however, al simple matter. A suitable wall spaced from 2,5 the outer surface of the tank4 to provide either a dead air space or an air circulation space, or to supportand protect an insulating material, according'to the requirements of the situation, is substantially requisite. To support such a sheathing' wall by spot welding the necessary" substructure or supporting framework tothe outside of the tank would be an extremely troublesome job, and drilling the walls for rivets is precluded by the greatly increased liability to leakage. Moreover, the shape of the tank wall va'rxes with the liquid level and with temperature. conditions to such an vextentthat breakage of any such holding means 'could'not welll be avoided. e l

One object of the present invention is to, provide a protective covering for tanks which willavoid the constructional difficulties mentioned. Another object is to pr-I vide an improved method of supporting upon a tank in spaced relation toits periphery, a sheathing wall. Further objects will appear from the specification and appended claims. y

In one Vof its aspects the invention includes the feature of securing to the outside of a tank, without welding or drillin below the liquid level therein, as for examp e by binding to its periphery, a substructure or framei OIL-TANK INSULATION.

1925. Serial No. 13,497.

work upon which a sheathing wall may be secured. As a preferred method, binding is accomplished by the use of twisted wire cables extending around the outside of the tank between portions of the Asubstructure and thesheathing wall. The sheathing wall may cooperate with the substructure to position the elements of the latter. With such a construction a covering capable of yielding in accordance with the expansion of the tank, but securely held thereto is produced. The space between the sheathing wall and the tank wall may be employed as a dead air space or asV an air circulation space, or as a chamber to receive insulating material of any description, according to the requirements of the case.

In the accompanyin drawings, invwhich one .illustrative emb iment which the in- Ventron ma assume in practice is shown for purposes o illustration, f l f Fig. l1 is a side elevation with parts omitted and broken away, of a tank provided. with a protective covering constructed in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, with parts omitted,.of one side of a tank;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of a supporting member;

Fig. .4 is a detail horizontal sectional view on a plane corresponding to the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and l Fig. 5 is a perspective of: a clamp plate. In the drawings, 1 represents a tankfhavlng a metallic peripheral wall 2. Arranged in preferably equally spaced relation around the wall 2 and 1n contact with the latter are a number of supporting or frame members .generally designated 3. In the illustrative form these are of built-u construction and .comprise each an angle 1ron 4 of which a web .5 lies radially of the tank. The other web 6 of each angle iron provides a surface 7 which sheathing plates 19, later described, may engage. At correspondingly spaced points along their lengths, the several supporting members 3 have riveted or otherwise suitably secured thereto, as at 101,feet 9 of angle iron of which the webs 11 rest against the outer surface of the tank wall when the members 3 are in position, the other webs 12 being secured to the webs 5 of the members 3.. The webs 12 are provided, with S19@ 13 which extend towards the webs 11 (and, by preference, downwardly) so that a iexible tension rod, wire or cable 20 supported therein and horizontally surrounding any substantial arc of the tank Wall will, when tightened, occupy a position in the bottom of each such slot.

To provide for securing sheathing Wall sections to the members 3, threaded studs 14 are spot Welded to the surfaces 7 of the angle iron vertieals 3 and nuts 15 cooperating therewith are adapted to engage clamp plates 16, apertured at 17 for engagement with the studs 14, and also having bent-ends 18 to overlie the edges of sheets 19, which may be corrugated sheets, as shown.to clamp the latter to the frame members 3.

In erecting the framework of the insulating sheathing the members 3 are lirst placed and appropriately spaced around it, the feet 11 resting on the outer surface of the tank. The cables 20 are then passed around outside of the frame members so as to lie in thebottoms of the recesses 15. The cables are then, drawn taut and their respective ends are ,clamped together by one or more cable clamps, not shown, of any usual kind to revent slippage. Since several of these ca les surround the tank at different levels the supporting members 3 are securely supported: When the framework is thus erected,- an outer sheathing covering of sheets 19 l is clamped to the frame members 3 by the clamp plates 16, and the members having been so spaced that the sheets abut opposite the members 6 of the verticals 3, against which the sheathing plates are heldin correctly spaced relation. The space 22 enclosed between the sheets 19 and the tank wall 2 may be used as a dead air space or may receive a heat insulating material 23, which may be' asbestos board or other like substance, or may be granulated or loose fibrous material, or even concrete. The sheets 19 may be metallic or of any suitable hard conducting or non-conductingmaterial. v

It will be apparent that by this mode of constructing an insulating covering all necessity for drilling in or spot welding to the tank wall itself is completely eliminated and that the framework provided for the covering is very edectually held in position whatever the shape of the tank may be under expansion and contraction of internal pressure. The sheets 19 serve to space the latter and maintain the entire covering in its intended relation to the tank. Owing to the arrangement of the parts the cables elastically respond to stresses tending to breakage of the -insulating struct-ure. This method of holding a protective covering to a tank may obviously be used with tanks of any construction and is subject to a wide range ofmodilication Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tank protecting structure, a series of supporting members, each parallel to the axis of the tank, arranged in spaced relation vabout the periphery of the tank, and means forholding said supporting members in position, comprising tension means extending circumferentially of said tank andv operatively connected to said supporting members at points nearer the axis of the tank than the outer limitsof said members, and sheathing sheets secured to said supporting members outside said tension means.

2. In a tank protecting system, aseries of supporting members, each provided with feet adapted to rest against the side of a tank, said vfeet; provided with notches, flexible tension means extending circumferentially of the tank and lodged in said notches, and sheathing sheets attached to said supporting members and spanning the spaces b eween them, and spaced from the tank s1 e. v

Signed by me at Los Angeles, this 21st day of February, 1925.

RAY T. KEMPER.

California, 

